At this point, nobody can deny that we are a society in decline. In America today, you can buy a U.S. Senator for 10,000 dollars, test scores for 13-year-olds have dropped to alarmingly low levels, and the CDC is telling us that more people than ever are getting depressed. Our streets are filled with crime, the ranks of the homeless are absolutely surging, and we are facing the worst drug crisis in the entire history of our nation. Meanwhile, corruption is seemingly everywhere.
The guy in the White House and his son have made millions of dollars in an epic influence-peddling scheme that stretched over many years, and the mainstream media doesn’t seem to care. Of course they know exactly what it is like to be bought and paid for, because the only reason the big news networks can survive is because of the millions of advertising dollars that the pharmaceutical industry continues to inject into their dying carcasses.
As Victor Davis Hanson has astutely observed, America was once experiencing a “gradual decline”, but now the fall of our nation “has accelerated at such an astonishing rate we can scarcely recognize our country”…
Twenty-first-century America was on a trajectory of gradual decline—until it began to implode.
Was the accelerant the COVID-19 pandemic and unhinged lockdowns? Or was the catalyst the woke revolution fueled by the 2020 summer of exempted rioting, looting, arson, and violence? Or was it perhaps the deranged fixation on removing Donald Trump from the presidency and destroying the rule of law in the process? Or all that and more?
Now with the election of Joe Biden, what had been a fast-tracked decline has accelerated at such an astonishing rate we can scarcely recognize our country.
I wish that what he is saying wasn’t true.
But it is.
Just a few years ago, organized looting was something that was fairly uncommon.
Sadly, now we have reached a point where groups of people are constantly storming into our major retailers, grabbing whatever they want, and then storming out…
Retail crime is at a record high, and thieves are becoming bolder than ever.
“We’ve just had a lot of stressful situations where me or like one of my coworkers have gotten hit trying to get stuff back,” said Mae McRae, the manager of Las Vegas boutique Eden Sky. “We have people who completely fill up their hands and just run out. No care in the world.”
The riots of 2020 were a real turning point, and retail theft hit the 100 billion dollar mark for the very first time in 2022…
The National Retail Federation found retailers lost approximately $100 billion last year, which is up from $94 billion in 2021 and $91 billion in 2020.
“They’re getting more comfortable with it because we won’t chase after them,” McRae said of shoplifters, noting how many retailers train employees to not go after the shoplifter for safety reasons.
It is being projected that retail theft will be way above the 100 billion dollar mark this year.
Unfortunately, most of our politicians don’t seem interested in solving this crisis.
So large retailers are starting to flee the areas that have been hit the hardest, and that even includes very wealthy cities such as San Francisco…
A slew of companies have indicated in the past few months that they will exit locations in San Francisco’s downtown area, moves AT&T, Westfield and Nordstrom recently said they would also make.
Reports of AT&T’s closure of its San Francisco flagship, located at 1 Powell Street in the Union Square area, first came about late last week. That will take place in August, with the workers getting “offered jobs at one of the many other retail locations in the city,” an AT&T spokesperson told FOX Business on Monday.
Instead of working hard to fix our growing problems, our politicians are busy working hard to win their next elections, and for most of them that means making appearances at the “pride parades” that are taking place all over America this month.
In New York, approximately 100,000 people marched in the Big Apple’s world famous pride parade on Sunday, and it was expected “to draw roughly a million spectators”…
Spotted among the amalgam of drag queens and activists marching down Fifth Avenue were figures like Eric Adams, Kathy Hochul, and Chuck Schumer – three of roughly 100,000 participants taking part in the parade’s main procession.
This year’s march – the 53rd in the city’s history – is expected to draw roughly a million spectators, while featuring some 60 floats that speak to the LGBTQ situation not only in New York, but across the country.
There is absolutely no doubt about where the financial capital of the world stands.
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At one point, some participants in the parade began chanting slogans that caused great alarm, but the mainstream media will not be covering this.
Needless to say, the mainstream media will not cover anything that puts such festivities in a bad light. During the Seattle pride parade, men that were fully exposed were allowed to participate. In the old days, that would get you arrested for “indecent exposure”, but in our time we celebrate that sort of a thing.
Of course there were lots of young children along the parade routes in Seattle, New York and in all of the other cities where such parades have been held this month.
Their innocence is being stolen from them. But nobody seems to care, because this is what we have become as a nation. If we were given another 20 or 30 years, what would our society look like? You might want to think about that, because the truth is that time is running out for America.
If we stay on the self-destructive path that we are on, we will reach the end of the road very rapidly, and so let us hope for a great awakening to happen soon.
Michael’s new book entitled “End Times” is now available in paperback and for the Kindle on Amazon.com, and you can check out his new Substack newsletter right here.
Article cross-posted from End of the American Dream.
Five Things New “Preppers” Forget When Getting Ready for Bad Times Ahead
The preparedness community is growing faster than it has in decades. Even during peak times such as Y2K, the economic downturn of 2008, and Covid, the vast majority of Americans made sure they had plenty of toilet paper but didn’t really stockpile anything else.
Things have changed. There’s a growing anxiety in this presidential election year that has prompted more Americans to get prepared for crazy events in the future. Some of it is being driven by fearmongers, but there are valid concerns with the economy, food supply, pharmaceuticals, the energy grid, and mass rioting that have pushed average Americans into “prepper” mode.
There are degrees of preparedness. One does not have to be a full-blown “doomsday prepper” living off-grid in a secure Montana bunker in order to be ahead of the curve. In many ways, preparedness isn’t about being able to perfectly handle every conceivable situation. It’s about being less dependent on government for as long as possible. Those who have proper “preps” will not be waiting for FEMA to distribute emergency supplies to the desperate masses.
Below are five things people new to preparedness (and sometimes even those with experience) often forget as they get ready. All five are common sense notions that do not rely on doomsday in order to be useful. It may be nice to own a tank during the apocalypse but there’s not much you can do with it until things get really crazy. The recommendations below can have places in the lives of average Americans whether doomsday comes or not.
Note: The information provided by this publication or any related communications is for informational purposes only and should not be considered as financial advice. We do not provide personalized investment, financial, or legal advice.
Secured Wealth
Whether in the bank or held in a retirement account, most Americans feel that their life’s savings is relatively secure. At least they did until the last couple of years when de-banking, geopolitical turmoil, and the threat of Central Bank Digital Currencies reared their ugly heads.
It behooves Americans to diversify their holdings. If there’s a triggering event or series of events that cripple the financial systems or devalue the U.S. Dollar, wealth can evaporate quickly. To hedge against potential turmoil, many Americans are looking in two directions: Crypto and physical precious metals.
There are huge advantages to cryptocurrencies, but there are also inherent risks because “virtual” money can become challenging to spend. Add in the push by central banks and governments to regulate or even replace cryptocurrencies with their own versions they control and the risks amplify. There’s nothing wrong with cryptocurrencies today but things can change rapidly.
As for physical precious metals, many Americans pay cash to keep plenty on hand in their safe. Rolling over or transferring retirement accounts into self-directed IRAs is also a popular option, but there are caveats. It can often take weeks or even months to get the gold and silver shipped if the owner chooses to close their account. This is why Genesis Gold Group stands out. Their relationship with the depositories allows for rapid closure and shipping, often in less than 10 days from the time the account holder makes their move. This can come in handy if things appear to be heading south.
Lots of Potable Water
One of the biggest shocks that hit new preppers is understanding how much potable water they need in order to survive. Experts claim one gallon of water per person per day is necessary. Even the most conservative estimates put it at over half-a-gallon. That means that for a family of four, they’ll need around 120 gallons of water to survive for a month if the taps turn off and the stores empty out.
Being near a fresh water source, whether it’s a river, lake, or well, is a best practice among experienced preppers. It’s necessary to have a water filter as well, even if the taps are still working. Many refuse to drink tap water even when there is no emergency. Berkey was our previous favorite but they’re under attack from regulators so the Alexapure systems are solid replacements.
For those in the city or away from fresh water sources, storage is the best option. This can be challenging because proper water storage containers take up a lot of room and are difficult to move if the need arises. For “bug in” situations, having a larger container that stores hundreds or even thousands of gallons is better than stacking 1-5 gallon containers. Unfortunately, they won’t be easily transportable and they can cost a lot to install.
Water is critical. If chaos erupts and water infrastructure is compromised, having a large backup supply can be lifesaving.
Pharmaceuticals and Medical Supplies
There are multiple threats specific to the medical supply chain. With Chinese and Indian imports accounting for over 90% of pharmaceutical ingredients in the United States, deteriorating relations could make it impossible to get the medicines and antibiotics many of us need.
Stocking up many prescription medications can be hard. Doctors generally do not like to prescribe large batches of drugs even if they are shelf-stable for extended periods of time. It is a best practice to ask your doctor if they can prescribe a larger amount. Today, some are sympathetic to concerns about pharmacies running out or becoming inaccessible. Tell them your concerns. It’s worth a shot. The worst they can do is say no.
If your doctor is unwilling to help you stock up on medicines, then Jase Medical is a good alternative. Through telehealth, they can prescribe daily meds or antibiotics that are shipped to your door. As proponents of medical freedom, they empathize with those who want to have enough medical supplies on hand in case things go wrong.
Energy Sources
The vast majority of Americans are locked into the grid. This has proven to be a massive liability when the grid goes down. Unfortunately, there are no inexpensive remedies.
Those living off-grid had to either spend a lot of money or effort (or both) to get their alternative energy sources like solar set up. For those who do not want to go so far, it’s still a best practice to have backup power sources. Diesel generators and portable solar panels are the two most popular, and while they’re not inexpensive they are not out of reach of most Americans who are concerned about being without power for extended periods of time.
Natural gas is another necessity for many, but that’s far more challenging to replace. Having alternatives for heating and cooking that can be powered if gas and electric grids go down is important. Have a backup for items that require power such as manual can openers. If you’re stuck eating canned foods for a while and all you have is an electric opener, you’ll have problems.
Don’t Forget the Protein
When most think about “prepping,” they think about their food supply. More Americans are turning to gardening and homesteading as ways to produce their own food. Others are working with local farmers and ranchers to purchase directly from the sources. This is a good idea whether doomsday comes or not, but it’s particularly important if the food supply chain is broken.
Most grocery stores have about one to two weeks worth of food, as do most American households. Grocers rely heavily on truckers to receive their ongoing shipments. In a crisis, the current process can fail. It behooves Americans for multiple reasons to localize their food purchases as much as possible.
Long-term storage is another popular option. Canned foods, MREs, and freeze dried meals are selling out quickly even as prices rise. But one component that is conspicuously absent in shelf-stable food is high-quality protein. Most survival food companies offer low quality “protein buckets” or cans of meat, but they are often barely edible.
Prepper All-Naturals offers premium cuts of steak that have been cooked sous vide and freeze dried to give them a 25-year shelf life. They offer Ribeye, NY Strip, and Tenderloin among others.
Having buckets of beans and rice is a good start, but keeping a solid supply of high-quality protein isn’t just healthier. It can help a family maintain normalcy through crises.
Prepare Without Fear
With all the challenges we face as Americans today, it can be emotionally draining. Citizens are scared and there’s nothing irrational about their concerns. Being prepared and making lifestyle changes to secure necessities can go a long way toward overcoming the fears that plague us. We should hope and pray for the best but prepare for the worst. And if the worst does come, then knowing we did what we could to be ready for it will help us face those challenges with confidence.
“mainstream media”?????
There is NO mainstream media in America, but Snyder will never figure that out!?!?
Victor Davis Hanson is ALWAYS the last to receive The Memo!!!
“. . win their next elections”
CORRECTION: Fix their next elections!
“. . .we celebrate that sort of a thing . . .”
CORRECTION: Perhaps you celebrate, Snyder, but not most of us, dude!
“But nobody seems to care, . . .”
A bunch of patriots cared on Jan. 6, Snyder, several ended up dead and many others unlawfully imprisoned in either a DC gulag or elsewhere!
Next time, try posting the addresses of their LEGAL DEFENSE FUNDS!